Potato-sorter.



W. PBRTZSGH.

POTATO SORTEB.

4 APPLICATION FILED AP}. 2, 1909. 943,097. Patented Desi 14, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Witnzana Wu PERTZSOH.

POTATO SOETER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1909.

Patented Dec. 14, 1909 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1|.

0M WPGCZfSdv,

Witness I mm. a. mum! at 900mm mine-am n. c.

WALTER PERTZSCI-II, or ONALASKA, WISCONSIN.

POTATO-SORTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 2, 1909. Serial No. 487,390.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER PnRrzsoH, citizen of the United States,residing at Onalaska, in the county of La Crosse and State oflVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Potato-Sorters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to elevators and has especial reference to anattachment to be applied to a potato digger.

An object of this invention is to provide a potato digger with anattachment whereby the potatoes may be sorted from the soil as the sameare delivered from the elevator which raises the potatoes from thelifting shovel.

The invention has for another object the provision of an improved sorterof this characterwhich may be adjusted in various angles to regulate thefeed of the potatoes through the same during the operation of themachine.

The invention further provides a device which will receive the potatoesand soil when the same is in a moist or dry condition and willeffectually operate under either of such conditions and thus will beprevented from clogging or interrupting the efl ectual operation of themachine.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a sorterwhich is applicable to machines of various construction, it beingnecessary only to provide a pair of arms and operative connectionbetween the same.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of a potato digger having the improved attachment appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the sifter detached,and Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the sifter detached.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 10 designates a potato diggerframe which is provided with the supporting wheels 11, the shovel 12 andan elevator 13 which is extended upwardly and rearwardly from the shovel12 to a point at the rear end of the I frame 10. The frame 10 carries apair of rearwardly projected arms 14 in which a transverse shaft 15 ismounted and which is rotatably actuated by the employment of a sprocket16 which carries a chain 17, the chain 17 being forwardly extended andengaged over a large sprocket 18 carried upon one of the driving wheels11. The sprocket 16 is arranged upon the shaft 15 in alinement with thelarge sprocket 18 and is adapted to actuate the improved sorter.

The sorter comprises a pair of plates 19 and 20 which are ofsubstantially rectangular formation and which are provided adjacenttheir opposite corners with rollers 21 between which is rotatablydisposed a disk 22 which is centrally apertured and which is engagedabout its edge against the peripheries of the rollers 21. The disk 22 iscentered between the plates 19 and 20 by the employment of guide rollers23 which are carried in the plates 19 and 20, the plates 19 and 20 beingslotted for the reception of the same, and which engage against theopposite sides of the disk 22 adjacent the outer edge of the same. Theguide rollers 23 may be disposed in practically any desired location inthe plates 19 and 20, but are preferably arranged as disclosed in thedrawings, in which the plate 20 carries two of the same which arepositioned in spaced relation at the upper end thereof and whichcooperate with a roller carried centrally of the upper edge of the plate19 upon the operative'side of the disk 22 thereby retaining the diskcentrally of the plates at its upper portion. The lower ends of theplates 19 and 20 carry the guide rollers 23 in opposite arrangement,namely, the plate 19 is pro vided with a pair of the rollers 23 spacedapart therein and each co-acts with a centrally disposed roller carriedby the plate 20. The plates 19 and 20 are centrally and circularlyapertured to admit of the extending inwardly of the inner edge of thedisk 22 to admit of the extension of a. plurality of prongs 24 which aresecured to the disk 22 adjacent the inner edge of the same and extendedrearwardly through the plate 20. The prongs 24 form a sifter or sorterfor the potatoes which are introduced to the plate 19 within the sameand admit of the passage of the soil between the prongs 24 during therotation of the disk 22.

The disk 22 is actuated by the formation of a rack 25 upon the innerface of the same Patented Dec. 14, 1909.

which is meshed with a gear wheel 26 carried upon the shaft .15 andextendedthrough a slot formed through the plate 19 to admit of themeshing of the same. The gear '26 is rigidly carried upon the shaft 15and is thus caused to rotate through the medium of the chain 17 andsprocket 16 which receive their motions from the large sprocket 18carried upon the drive wheel 11. The plates 19 and 20 are secured inparallel relation through the medium of the pins 27 which are extendedthrough and between the same to support the rollers 21, although anyadditional braces or supporting means may be employed. The plate 19 isprovided with forwardly projected lugs 28 which are apertured for thereception of the opposite ends of the shaft 15 therethrough in order topivotally support the plates 19 and 20 upon the shaft 15. The lugs 28are positioned intermediately upon the plate 19 adjacent the inner edgeof the same and thus form a central pivot for the sorting device.Forwardly extending from the upper opposite corners of the plate 19 arerods 29 which are engaged with a transverse rotary shaft 30 which isactuated by means of a handlever 31 to swing the plates 19 and 20 invarious angles in order to raise or lower the rear extremities of theprongs 24 to cause the feeding of the potatoes or other substancesthrough the same at various degrees of speed.

It will thus be noted that in thus positioning the plates 1.9 and 20 theupper end of the elevator 13 terminates within the aperture formedthrough the plate 19 and thus feeds the. potatoes which are carriedupwardly thereby through the plate .19 and upon the inner faces of theprongs 24.

hen the digger is actuated the drive wheels 11 are rotated and the shaft15 is driven through the medium of the chain 17 and sprockets 1S and 16respectively. This rotation of the shaft 15 causes the gear 26 torevolve and to rotate the disk 22 by reason of its meshing engagementtherewith. Simultaneously the elevator 13 is actuated to raisequantities of the soil and potatoes as they are lifted by the shovel andto carry the same to the plate 19 where they are deposited through thedisk 22 upon the prongs 24. The rearward motion transmitted to theprongs 24 causes the jarring and settling of the material placed thereinand consequently separates the soil from the potatoes and permits thesoil to drop downwardly between the prongs. The lever 31 is provided inthe usual manner with the segment 32 by means of which the same isretained at various adjusted angles and which regulates the angle of theprongs 24 through the medium of the rods 29. It is noted from thisconstruction and operation that when the prongs 24 are deflectedrearwardly at a substantial angle the material which'is placed in theforward end of the same will travel rapidly and pass out of the rear endinto receptacles or the like which may be provided for the same.

Having thus described the inventioi' what is claimed as new is 1. In adevice as specified, the combination with a digger of a pairof centrallyapertured plates hingedly disposed at the rear end of said digger, anapertured disk rotatably disposed between said plates, a plurality ofprongs rearwardly extended.

from the inner'edge of said disk through the rear of said plates, meansdisposed between said disk and sald digger for actuating Stud disk androds disposed between said digger and said forward plate for tilting thesame into various angles.

2. In a device as specified the combination with a potato digger of apair of centrally apertured plates disposed at the rear end of the saiddigger and adapted to receive potatoes from said digger, and an'apertured disk rotatably disposed between said plates, a plurality ofprongs rearwardly projected from the inner edge of said disk through'therear of said plate, rollers mounted adjacent the opposite cornersbetween said plates to support said disk, guide rollers disposed throughsaid plates and engaged with said disk to secure the same centrallythereof, lugs forwardly extended from the intermediate portion of saidfirst plate, a shaft rotatably disposed through said lugs, a gearmounted on said shaft and extended through said first plate, a rackformed on the face of said disk to mesh with said gear, a sprocketmounted on said shaft and con nected to said digger to rotate said shaftand means carried by said digger for tilting said plates into variousangles.

3. A device as specified comprising a pair of plates, rollers positionedadjacent the corners between said plates, a disk loosely mounted on saidrollers, a plurality of prongs rearwardly extended in said disk, saiddisk and said plates having apertures centrally formed therethrough forthe reception of potatoes from the digger, means carried to the forwardof said plates to actuate said disk and means connected to said platesto adjust said plates in various angles.

4. In a device as specified the combination with a digger of a pair ofspaced plat-es hingedly disposed in parallel at the rear end of saiddigger, means carried by said digger for retaining said plates invarious angles, said plates being centrally apertured and means disposedbetween said digger and said disk for rotating said disk by the actultween said plates, said plates and said disk ation of said digger.

5. In a device as specified the combination with a digger of a pair ofplates vertically disposed in parallel transversely of said digger, adisk rotatably engaged between said plates, rollers carried by saidplates to retain said disk in position, a plurality of prongs rearwardlyextended from the inner edge of said disk, said plates and said diskbeing centrally apertured, a shaft transversely disposed across one ofsaid plates, means carried by said shaft for engagement with said diskto rotate the same, means carried by said shaft and connected to saiddigger for rotating said shaft and rods carried by said plates andconnected to said digger for moving said plates into various verticalangles.

6. In a device as specified the combination with a digger of a pair ofplates carried by said digger, a disk rotatably mounted bebeingapertured, prongs rearwardly extended from said disk through one of saidplates, rollers disposed between the opposite corners of said plates toretain said disk in position, guide rollers positioned through saidplates and engaged with said disk, a shaft mounted transversely of theforward of said plates, a gear on said shaft extended through saidforward plate and engaged with said disk, a rack on said disk forengagement with said gear, means disposed between said digger and saidshaft to actuate the same and rods carried by said digger and connectedto said forward plate for directing said disk into various angles. Intestimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER PERTZSCH. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

E. D. LooMIs, W. G. WINTER.

